well-being nutrition


taken before pregnancy and during the fi rst few weeks of pregnancy, often before you may even know that you’re pregnant. Because nearly half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned, it’s important that all women take folic acid daily.


How You Can Get Folic Acid Take a multivitamin daily that contains 400 mi- crograms of folic acid. Most multivitamins have this amount, but check the label to be sure. During pregnancy, take a prenatal vitamin


each day that contains 600 micrograms of folic acid. Your healthcare provider can prescribe a prenatal vitamin for you. You can also get pre- natal vitamins over the counter at a grocery store or drugstore.


All women should take folic acid


Most women don’t need more than 1,000


micrograms of folic acid each day. But some women — such as those who have had a pregnancy affected by NTDs or women with sickle cell disease — may need more. Talk to your provider to make sure you get the right amount of folic acid.


When folic acid occurs naturally in a food, it’s called folate


Foods With Folic Acid Some fl our, breads, cereals and pasta have folic acid added to them. Check the package for the words fortifi ed or enriched to fi nd out if a product contains folic acid. Even if you eat for- tifi ed or enriched foods, you should continue to take a multivitamin or prenatal vitamin that contains folic acid. You also can get folic acid from some fruits


and vegetables. When folic acid is naturally in a food, it’s called folate. Foods that are good sources of folate are:


• Beans, such as lentils, pinto and black beans. • Leafy greens, such as spinach and Romaine. • Broccoli. • Citrus fruits, such as oranges and grapefruit. • Orange juice.


Other Benefi ts Folic acid plays an important role in helping your body to make red blood cells. Red blood cells are important because they carry oxygen from your lungs to all parts of your body. Some studies show that folic acid may help protect you from heart disease. Scientists are still learning about all the benefi ts of folic acid.


Good sources of folate are leafy greens, beans and citrus fruits


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© 2013 March of Dimes Foundation. For more information: marchofdimes.com or narcesano.org.


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